Current Matters
New Delhi : The Supreme Court today stayed the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Modi surname defamation today and restored his Member Parliament (MP) status.
This will enable Rahul Gandhi to be back in Parliament where his presence will give boost to Congress party and like minded opposition parties.
A Surat session court had convicted Rahul Gandhi in Modi surname defamation case and was sentenced for five years imprisonment. But Supreme Court today stayed his conviction which will restore his status as MP and will also enable him contest Lok Sabha elections next year.
Pronouncing the verdict, Justice BR Gavai said the ramifications of Gandhi’s conviction are wide since it will also affect the right of the electorates who elected him.
“No reason has been given by the trial judge for imposing maximum sentence, the order of conviction needs to be stayed pending final adjudication,” the bench said.
Purnesh Modi, a former minister in the Gujarat government, had filed a criminal defamation case in 2019 against Gandhi over his “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remark made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.
